[ad_1]
Halvor Granerud prevailed in the Innsbruck standings with a jump of 129 meters ahead of birthday boy Daniel Huber.
Innsbruck. Despite the lack of support from fans at home, Austria’s ski jumpers want to get on the podium for the first time at the 69th Four Hills Tournament. Daniel Huber came second in the Innsbruck standings on Saturday behind tour leader Halvor Egner Granerud. Stefan Kraft, sixth from Oberstdorf, and Philipp Aschenwald, sixth from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, should also be expected after qualifying between sixth and tenth in Bergisel.
The first candidate for new heroic feats in the third act of the Corona edition is the Norwegian Granerud, who is constantly jumping to the highest level. The dominator of the season (five wins) distanced Huber by 3.3 points and on Sunday he defended four points ahead of Geiger, who on Saturday “only” showed a decent jump in seventh place.
Last year Polish Dawid Kubacki placed second behind Marius Lindvik (the Norwegian has to pass after dental surgery) in Innsbruck, a decisive element in his overall victory, and he is apparently getting better and better. With third place, just two tenths of a point behind Huber, he won Poland’s internal duel with Kamil Stoch (fifth), who, as third overall, also has ambitions for his third win on the tour. Twelve of the 13 Austrians dominated the preliminary round, including Gregor Schlierenzauer, who recently did not make the squad for the German jumping competitions. Only Stefan Rainer missed the competition in 55th place.
Huber wanted a “brave jump” to be understood as a successful counterattack at the mediocre start of the tour (13, 14). The result gives you a lot of energy and confidence. “I hope I can take this with me after tomorrow.” He doesn’t see Saturday’s jump (127.5m) as a possible model. “Every jump stands out on its own somewhere. Showing the same determination is more the motto,” said Huber, who has so far been the only Austrian twice to reach the podium at the World Cup.
Kraft, who had landed 28th on the stick at Garmisch, successfully overcame the disappointment as sixth in the standings. “It was great today. I really like the Bergisel, I just get along a little better with the hill,” said the Salzburg native. He recently attacked a shadow too early. “Tomorrow I will certainly not stop. I want to jump forward, with courage, heart and brain.” In the previous two years, he managed to counter the New Years crisis with ranks four (2020) and two (2019). This year the support of the local fans is lacking.
“Of course, it would be amazing if the Bergisel were as full tomorrow as you know it,” said the Tyrolean Aschenwald. “But it is useless, we are prepared for a season without fans. I will concentrate on my jump so that people in front of the television have a good time.”
As sixth place, Aschenwald is the only one of the ÖSV jumpers who is still in the running for the best spots on the tour. As usual, he formulated his ambitions calmly and defensively. “I really found a good shape during the tour, the demands have certainly not diminished.”
Schlierenzauer is the latest ÖSV winner to return to Innsbruck (2013). He finished the standings in 20th place. “I think I’m a small but good step further,” said Schlierenzauer, who wants to eliminate “some subtleties” in the jump system. Last year, the now 30-year-old surprised as sixth of the day. “The prerequisites are tough for me this year. I’m the type to make it easier when he’s on the beat.” This is one of the reasons its preparation was fun. “But it doesn’t matter: New Years, it’s starting again. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
